Hometeam: No. 1 Shrewsbury rolls past Rangers

Saturday

Feb 1, 2014 at 11:10 PM

By Carl Setterlund CORRESPONDENT

WESTBORO — After a Monday loss to Leominster High, the top-ranked Shrewsbury High boys' hockey team was eager to give a better account of its potential when the Colonials played a strong Westboro High squad on Saturday night at North Star Youth Forum. The game was never in question after Jack Quinlivan's opener 1:26 in, as Shrewsbury rebounded with a convincing 5-1 win.

"We're looking to start playing real good hockey as a team, not just some games and some opponents," Shrewsbury coach Steve Turnblom said. "We're always looking to win and we have the team to do it, but we've got to come to play."

Sophomore Matt Dillon played an integral role for the Quinn Conference leaders, picking up the assist on both Shrewsbury first period goals, and then making it 3-0 on a snapper from the left circle that deflected in at 1:03 into the second.

"Last game and this game have been a good bounce-back for us," said Dillon, alluding to a 6-0 win over Auburn on Wednesday. "Everyone's feeling a lot better in the locker room, so we should be good going into Wachusett and St. John's."

Next up, the Colonials (12-2) will look to defend their honor once again versus No. 2 Wachusett Regional, whom they beat for the first time in this senior group's tenure, 2-1, back at North Star on Jan. 18.

Turnblom said the Colonials, at 5-0 in the Quinn, are set on claiming their first conference championship in five seasons, and they can all but clinch the title with a win over the No. 2 Mountaineers in the rematch — at North Star once again — at 5 p.m. Monday.

They follow that with a crosstown rivalry game versus a very strong Division 1 St. John's team at 4:15 p.m. next Sunday at the Hart Center.

Westboro (6-7) has now lost its last five games. The Rangers look to turn their season around in a 4 p.m. game on Wednesday against Hudson.

There was a 13-minute break in the scoring after Jack Quinlivan's opener, but Shrewsbury wasn't done in the first period as Dillon found Sean Hallice crashing the far right post and the senior defenseman finished it to make it 2-0.

"When we start games the right way, it's rare that we lose," Dillon said. "First period, if we give the (other) team the lead we usually struggle a little bit."

Dillon's second period opener came in too fast for Westboro goalie Jared Ward (24 saves) to stop, as the puck hit his left shoulder and popped up, over and in.

The Shrewsbury penalty kill was strong for most of the night, but Turnblom didn't have all of his personnel available when the Rangers scored, as Hallice, a top-line player, was five minutes into a misconduct for comments to the referee.

The Colonials other starting defenseman, Cole Ambach, received a misconduct of his own in the third period after being called for a hit from behind.

"Discipline is a big part of the game," said Turnblom, who was not overly pleased.

Contact Carl Setterlund at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tgsports.